Improvement in hinges



l @einen gieten` geirrt @fitta JOHN SOWLE, OF BOS-TON, MAUSSACHUS-ETTS.'

Letters Patent No. 73,661, elated Janna-ry 21, 1868.

' rnraovsnsrr 1N amers.

'IVO-ALL WIIOM I'I MAY GONGERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN SowLE, ol' Boston, in the county-of Suffolk,- and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Hinges, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact descriptiomreference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisV specication, in which-r Iiigure 1 represents two frames, connected together by my improved hinges.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line a: rv. of iig. `l.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lower portion ofone of my improved hinges, showing the split spindle or pin which connects the two portions of the hinge together,

My invention is particularly applicable to hinges which are used for double or folding wall or bureaumirrors, where it is desired to hold the frames so that they will not swingtoo freely; and my invention consists in slitting or dividing the tempered-metal spindle or pin which holds the two portions 0r leaves of the hinge together, for a portion of its length, so that it will expand, and produce suicient friction, within the portion of the hinge placed over it, to hold the frame to which the hinge is applied at any desired angle, and prevent it from being too easily moved to one side or the other. i

To enable others skilled in' the art `to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A B represent two frames, placed one over or in front of the other, and connected together'by two hinges, C D. `The pin or spindle,a'which connects the two leaves or portions of thehinge together, is made of tempered steel or other' suitablemetal, and is slit or divided, for a `portion of its length, as 'seen in tig. 3, the twp parts, 5 and 6, being spread apart slightly, so that when the upper leaf is placed over allem, they will expand within it, and produce a sufficient degree of friction to hold the swinging frame Bat `any desired angle, and prevent it from being too easily moved `to one side or the other, which particularly adapts .a hinge so constructed foi-'double or folding mirrors, in which it is desired to hold the swinging frame steadily in position at any desired angle. .It will be seen that as the pin aibccomes worn it will expand, and still lcontinue to maintain the desired degreeo` friction, while the-ordinary hinge, when applied to a mirror-frame, soon wears loose, so that it will swinng too freely to be of any practical value for this purpose.- rOne of the leaves, d, ofthe hinge C, is of akless width than the other, e, as seenin figs. 1 and 2, sothat both leaves may be secured to the outer edges of the framesA. B, in the manner shown in fig. 1,' when placed one over Aor in front of the other, so as to cause the outer frame to lac/thrown oii` from the inner one when opened, which cannot be done when the leaves are of. the same width; and it will be seen that a hin-ge constructed with one leal' ofa less width than the other, and applied to the outer edges of two frames, in the manner shown, will cause the front one, when opened, to be thrown out from the inner one, so far that it may be swung back in a plane parallel therewith, without striking the casing, if set in the wall of a room between two windows, whilev carvings or otherl projections may be placed at the cci-ners of the frames, without the liability of their being broken when the outer frame is swung back. The ,hinge C, above described, having its leaves d e of diiferent widths, is designed particularly for folding wall-mirrors, especially when placed between window-casings, or when furnished with carvings at the corners; but for folding bureauimirrors, I use the hinge D, the leaves b c of which are of the same width, one, c, having a lange,f, projecting out from it at right angles, which is screwed to a piece, E, which represents the support to-which the inner frame A isattached; and it will be seen that tbe hinge D,when vapplied as above-described, will, in the samemanner as the hinge C, cause the outer frame'to be thrown offfrom the innervone, so that it can be swung back in a plane'parallel therewith.

I have described my improved hinges, as particularly applicable for folding mirror-frames, but it is evident that they may b e used for other purposes, ifdesired.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is-

slitting or ,dividing the pin or spindle a, made of tempered steel or other metal, so that it will produce the required degree of friction within the hinge, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN SOWLE.

Witnesses:

P. E. TESCHEMACHER, N. W. Sammie. 

